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Rescuers lay out bowls of anchovies and sardines for sea lion pups strong enough to eat solid food. Starvation seems to be driving this mass stranding event, though researcher are still unsure of why the pups can't find food. Scientists are investigating environmental condtions and fish patterns to find out more. "It doesn't seem like [bait fish] are around," says Dan Pondella, associate professor of Biology with Occidental College in Southern California. Though he doesn't know why the numbers are down. "We're out there all the time, and it doesn't seem like any unusual oceanographic phenomena are going on. It might just be a bad year for bait fish."